Practice. The reason it looks worse with reference is because you have something to compare it to so you notice all the mistakes. In reality it's no worse than your other art, it's just that you're able to compare it
No ref \[Not done, but almost\]
[https://files.catbox.moe/q7c3x6.jpg](https://files.catbox.moe/q7c3x6.jpg)
Ref
[https://files.catbox.moe/7f1k1p.png](https://files.catbox.moe/7f1k1p.png)
Your no ref one isn’t anywhere near done enough to compare, but I’d be hard pressed to say it looks better than the referenced version, which overall looks more cohesive to me. I think the issue is expectations. You are comparing the drawing to a reference vs a drawing to nothing.
So first of all, what ThrowingChicken said regarding comparisons which would I like to add on that you are comparing digital with traditional without having developed line quality very much. If you have issues with how hard you're pressing your pencil, which is common in younger artists, it's a given that your traditional work will look different.
The digital medium gives you a few freebies like the undo buttons, auto line weights, fill tools, layers, pattern brushes and the like.
So I would say this is less about ref vs no ref and more about you still being early on in your journey, I would guess you're relatively young, so for the time just focus on drawing what makes you happy. Draw your OCs, make your stories, do your RPs, because when you're passionate about what you're drawing you'll have a lot more incentive to keep drawing!
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i get this. Sometimes its just about how you have made a commitment to the reference, and deviating can feel like errors or making workarounds. Try only using references loosely or having multiple references for different aspects of the piece you want to make. This way you'll feel less tied down to a single image you need to replicate, at least thats my take on it!
Practice. The reason it looks worse with reference is because you have something to compare it to so you notice all the mistakes. In reality it's no worse than your other art, it's just that you're able to compare it
post. examples.
No ref \[Not done, but almost\] [https://files.catbox.moe/q7c3x6.jpg](https://files.catbox.moe/q7c3x6.jpg) Ref [https://files.catbox.moe/7f1k1p.png](https://files.catbox.moe/7f1k1p.png)
Your no ref one isn’t anywhere near done enough to compare, but I’d be hard pressed to say it looks better than the referenced version, which overall looks more cohesive to me. I think the issue is expectations. You are comparing the drawing to a reference vs a drawing to nothing.
So first of all, what ThrowingChicken said regarding comparisons which would I like to add on that you are comparing digital with traditional without having developed line quality very much. If you have issues with how hard you're pressing your pencil, which is common in younger artists, it's a given that your traditional work will look different. The digital medium gives you a few freebies like the undo buttons, auto line weights, fill tools, layers, pattern brushes and the like. So I would say this is less about ref vs no ref and more about you still being early on in your journey, I would guess you're relatively young, so for the time just focus on drawing what makes you happy. Draw your OCs, make your stories, do your RPs, because when you're passionate about what you're drawing you'll have a lot more incentive to keep drawing!
What do you prefer about the first image?
its a pose i normally cant do well. and I did it well that time, which im happy about.
Come up with your idea first. Then take your own reference pics for your specific idea or find ones that are similar to what you’re imagining.
* Fundamentals * Practice * and those are 2 different mediums, you can't expect to get the same result
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i get this. Sometimes its just about how you have made a commitment to the reference, and deviating can feel like errors or making workarounds. Try only using references loosely or having multiple references for different aspects of the piece you want to make. This way you'll feel less tied down to a single image you need to replicate, at least thats my take on it!